We did it! Utahns are no longer officially the worst drivers in America (barely)

We did it! Utahns are no longer officially the worst drivers in America (barely)

Everyone suspected it, many have alleged it, and according to a study by QuoteWizard it turned out to be true that Utah drivers were the worst drivers in America in 2016. However, the organization’s 2017 study showed that Utahns are now merely the third worst drivers in America. Yay!

It was determined that California now houses the nation’s worst drivers, which is not surprising when one considers that California is populated almost entirely by Californians. However, Salt Lake City is still home to the second-worst drivers in America, the same as last year.

The study came to its conclusions by comparing rates of speeding tickets, car accidents, citations, DUIs, and fatalities in each state. How an unpopulated state with a nearly prohibitionist approach to alcoholic beverages managed to exceed the national average in these areas is simply mind boggling.

Traffic deaths are steadily on the rise, and there were over 1,400 injuries that resulted from improper lane changes, which is also no surprise considering Utah’s reputation for rude drivers.

On the upside, while accident rates were high, the rate of death associated with automobile accidents was low, particularly in rural areas. However, the rate is rising, having increased by 27 percent from 2013 to 2016.

The study noted that car accidents have risen overall and attributes the increase to more miles being driven cumulatively by Americans. This is compounded by the fact that thanks to handheld devices, people are more distracted than ever when driving.

Perhaps if our drivers were to chant “What Would Jesus Do?” while driving, they might slow down, use their turn signals, obey stop and yield signs, and let people merge without needlessly risking their lives.

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Widely regarded as the greatest writer of all time, ever, Jason Gottfried is editor of The Independent as well as a freelance editor, writer, multi-instrumental musician, and composer transplanted to Utah from Nashville by way of Gainesville, Florida.
He has previously been an album reviewer, opinion columnist, humor writer, staff writer, copy editor, and opinion editor of The Independent. Before that, he was editor of SOKY Happenings magazine and wrote a column, The Vociferous Vegan. He was also general manager of Nashville’s fabled The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant and briefly co-owner of Gainesville's longtime staple vegetarian restaurant, Book Lover's Cafe.
When he is away from the computer, he plays between Colorado and California as a live and session musician.
He sexually identifies as an Apache AH-64 attack helicopter and cannot be accurately referred to using any currently existing pronouns.